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Gov. Deval Patrick weighs options for Sen. Kerry's seat

Now that John Kerry has easily cleared his first hurdle on the way to becoming secretary of State, all eyes are on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. The Democrat and close friend of President Obama has a

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Now that John Kerry has been easily confirmed as secretary of State, all eyes are on Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

The Democrat and close friend of President Obama has a decision to make: Who will fill Kerry's Senate seat until a special election is held in June?

As Patrick probably knows, the Senate appointment will forever be part of his legacy as governor. Just ask David Paterson.

Paterson was governor of New York when Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped down from the Senate to become secretary of State in 2009. Paterson had the power to appoint Clinton's successor -- and he chose Kirsten Gillibrand, then a little-known member of Congress. Paterson was being urged to appoint Caroline Kennedy, but the lawyer and heiress to the Kennedy political dynasty withdrew from consideration.

Patrick has kept his own counsel on who will replace Kerry, who was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate on a 94-3 vote. One clue is that Patrick said he intends to appoint a caretaker -- someone who won't have to face voters in the June 25 special election.

"As a practical matter, it's hard for me to imagine how you could serve in the Senate for a four-month period and also run a statewide campaign in a four-month period and do both of them well," Patrick said in December.

Patrick already has experience with this kind of thing, appointing former Democratic Party chairman Paul Kirk to the Senate after Edward Kennedy died in 2009. Kirk served for five months, and Republican Scott Brown was the surprise winner of the 2010 special election.

The Boston Globe reports in Tuesday's editions that Patrick has "suggested he will choose a woman or a person of color to reflect the changing face of politics in Massachusetts." Unnamed political insiders told the newspaper that William Cowan, Patrick's former chief of staff who is black, and Victoria Kennedy, widow of the late senator, are among "top contenders."